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Navy salad
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Navy salad
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PostFri Sep 17, 2021 11:12 am 
kiliki wrote:
Does anyone have any tips for getting around in a walking boot? It's been 2+ weeks, I feel like I could venture out more, within reason...but maybe I should use hiking poles?
I just saw this. I've been using the "Genesis full shell walker" that my my heretical Podiatrist provided. It looks like this:
Costs vary for this, running from less than $30 used to $130-ish. But, it's really helped me get around and has totally taken the strain off my ankle. It even has an air bag (inflated using that dark gray bulb at the top of the walker) to cushion your calf, which I thought was mostly a gimmick, but which works quite well! It also has a curved sole, which helps with maintaining a closer-to-normal gait. I can walk my normal walking speed with this, and with no discomfort. Personally, I wouldn't use it for hiking though. Agreeing with Anne Elk, coming down stairs is still the worst for me (I generally plant my injured foot sideways at the top of the stair then lower my healthy foot down). But it worked fine for a trip around Costco. I'm not sure who the question about hardware in the ankle was directed to, but if me, no hardware. I have a "non-displaced minor fracture" (basically, a crack) about a half inch from the end of my fibula (the little bone). The podiatrist didn't think it needed any hardware. Also, regarding using an "EvenUp", this is the exact thing my podiatrist recommended. Cost was $35 on Amazon and as kiliki mentioned, it makes a big difference. (Without it, there's about 1" difference in leg lengths.) Note that they seem to run a bit small, so if in doubt, I'd order the larger size.

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kiliki
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kiliki
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PostFri Sep 17, 2021 11:36 am 
Quote:
I've been using the "Genesis full shell walker" that my my heretical Podiatrist provided.
That's exactly what the Polyclinic sent me home with. No idea what it cost me yet... You can walk your normal speed in it?? I can't--I'd need my ankle to flex to walk with a normal gait.

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Navy salad
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PostFri Sep 17, 2021 12:14 pm 
kiliki wrote:
That's exactly what the Polyclinic sent me home with. No idea what it cost me yet... You can walk your normal speed in it?? I can't--I'd need my ankle to flex to walk with a normal gait.
Yeah, despite the fact that you can buy them online for $130-ish, I'm still waiting to see what they'll actually bill me for this thing. Re: walking speed: I couldn't (and didn't want to) walk very quickly at first, but now I can pretty easily. I'm not saying "fast", but close to normal. The curved sole seems to make all the difference by reducing the need for me to flex my ankle. Do you have a sprain or a break or both?

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kiliki
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PostFri Sep 17, 2021 3:11 pm 
Navy salad wrote:
Do you have a sprain or a break or both?
Non-displaced fracture of the lateral malleolus (I think).

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Navy salad
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PostFri Sep 17, 2021 3:25 pm 
I had to google "Non-displaced fracture of the lateral malleolus" but from the pictures that came up, this appears to be exactly what I have (in addition to the sprain). It looks like the malleolus is the bottom end of the fibula where it thickens -- essentially the bump on the outside of the ankle.

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kiliki
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PostFri Sep 17, 2021 4:23 pm 
Sorry you also have a sprain. How do they diagnose a sprain on top of a fracture?

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Navy salad
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PostFri Sep 17, 2021 4:42 pm 
Just from the symptoms and the doc moving it around to check my discomfort and range of motion.

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kiliki
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PostWed Sep 22, 2021 11:54 am 
I brought up the rounded sole thing with the podiatrist today. She didn't think there was anything to that. What she did say was that in some people with known ankle instability, having a stiff, thick sole (like in my hiking shoes) means the little muscles in the feet have a harder time getting and responding to feedback (uneven ground, a tiny twig which is what downed me) and the ankle instead bears the brunt of the response. For me she suggested that either higher top boots, which have never given me issues, or shoes with a more flexible sole, like my running shoes that have never caused a rolled ankle, are better.

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Navy salad
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PostThu Sep 23, 2021 4:26 pm 
Interesting she didn't see much value in the rounded sole (which is just a little rounded, btw), since that's what keeps my stiff boot from smacking flat in just one position when I walk on that foot. My podiatrist suggested this ankle brace, which is supposed to fit inside hiking shoes:

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kiliki
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PostFri Sep 24, 2021 8:42 am 
Navy salad wrote:
Interesting she didn't see much value in the rounded sole (which is just a little rounded, btw), since that's what keeps my stiff boot from smacking flat in just one position when I walk on that foot. My podiatrist suggested this ankle brace, which is supposed to fit inside hiking shoes:
I don't know if she'll bring that up in the future, but at the moment, since I have a history of instability in that ankle, she'd said she'd like me to do PT to increase ankle stability when I'm out of the boot. I just had my 3 week xray and have started some simple exercises but have 3 more weeks in the boot.

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kiliki
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PostSat Oct 02, 2021 11:50 am 
I had to (had to!) go to the (aggravating, underwhelming) Mariners game last night. The Mainers have an email for an ADA coordinator type person and they replied to my question about easiest game access that afternoon. We are typically season ticket holders (not this year) but usually get street parking then our seats are on the 100 level. Anyway, they pointed me to the parking garage>skybridge>Terrace Club access. That seems to be the seating area of choice for lots of people using canes, walkers, wheelchairs, etc. So if anyone finds themselves mobility impaired but wants to get to a game, it was great. I was on my feet less than when I make dinner. The skybridge right to the Terrace Club is perfect, and that level has fewer stairs, less crowded bathrooms and walkways, etc.

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Michael Lewis
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PostMon Oct 04, 2021 3:21 pm 
I have been unable to hike due to a severed A-F ankle ligament but did manage some camping this year with the help of an Ossur Formfit figure 8 ankle splint.
The TRs on this site have been a source of mental rehab for me while I deal with insurance woes.

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Navy salad
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PostWed Oct 06, 2021 12:30 pm 
Yours is a different brand, but almost identical to the "Trilok" brace my podiatrist recommended (to replace my walking cast). Seems to work very well once you get a handle on the fairly complicated procedure for putting it on.

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